shazaam

I know what they did wrong. They didn't properly remove the factory alarm .. or disengage it right. The two alarms were fighting each other. THe factory alarm would set off the horns and the lights, and Viper would start its sirens and disengage the engine. It looked like a damn police car. But hey .. thats were the lifetime warranty kicks in .. and as long as its not costing me a dime and too much of my time. I'm still good

MTL_4runner

Ahhhhhh....ok, that makes me feel much better.
There is a factory alarm disarm wire that needs to be hooked up to stop that.
Sometimes it is more complicated a may require an additional relay.
Anyway, sounds like they did not install it properly.....they owe you then!

midiwall

Markup and pure profit. The technology behind an alarm isn't rocket science these days, but a dealer would love to make you think so.

An install can be very labor intensive in the sense of time. If the installer has valid wiring diagrams, then the install will be straight forward and relatively quick. But if they have to map out things like electronic lock points, hatch releases, window controls, heater power, ignition cutouts, etc. then it can be a real pain.

Most install shops charge a flat fee for installing stereos, alarms, nav systems, etc. When an install is "easy", then the fee is profit loaded. When an install is a pain, then they're earning their money. It all evens out for the shop in the end.

MTL_4runner

Another quick word of advice:
Whatever you do make sure the alarm is NEW. I was going to buy a used one (to save money) on eBay, but I am glad I didn't. After seeing what comes in the box new from the factory, so many of the used ones people are selling are missing stuff. Not to mention there is no guaranty that the stuff works either. It is also rarely taken out of the car neatly so you may also have to add extensions for some wires to get it to fit the location in your car. Seriously.....don't do it.

midiwall

Update!

I received my UltraStart 4500 yesterday and I'm less than impressed. I babbled about it over here:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...threadid=23780

"Less than impressed" is defined as even before looking at the alarm itself, or trying the install, I found that the battery compartment cover on the remote won't fit when the battery is in place. I figure I can get it to fit with some trimming, but if this is an issue now, then what else will I find once it's installed...

So, it's going back.


Past that, I just ordered the Commando FM-870 that I mentioned above (with the remote temp sensor):

http://www.commandocaralarms.com/ite...ProductID=1185


I'll let folks know what I think about it when it shows up.

midiwall

I thought I'd make good on my statement above about reporting on the Commando FM-870.

It showed up a week ago, and it's taken me a bit to find time to get a good look at it.


I pulled out the factory RS-3000 yesterday (thank you Jamie for the install instructions! They really helped!) and started in on the Commando today.

In short... I'm VERY pleased. I ran out of light (no garage) and only got the basic alarm in along with the remote starter. Tomorrow I'll be able to finish things up and babble a lot more.

btw, remote starting is pretty cool. And the 2-way transmitter is pretty bling, but... it's so cool.


More tomorrow!

MTL_4runner

No probs dude, PM if you need help!

sabre

What are you going to do with the factory alarm?

midiwall

It's pretty toast.... It hasn't worked since I sunk the truck in mud up to the floorboards back around Thanksgiving. That's what prompted the swap in the first place.

midiwall

I may just take you up on that!

The door locks seem to be an an interesting setup on our trucks, but I think I have it figured out. I'll test my theory once the chill gets out of the morning air and the sun comes up over here.

midiwall

Okay... it's all in.

To recap, my factory RS-3000 alarm didn't like getting sunk in mud and it gave up the ghost. I shopped for a replacement and convinced myself that I needed something with more bling than the RS-3000 offered.

I first tried an alarm/remote starter from UltraStart and was pretty turned off by the quality so it got sent back. My 2nd choice turned out to be the right one, and I just finished installing a "Commando FM-870":

http://www.commandocaralarms.com/ite...ProductID=1185

It's great... I'm having a lot of fun playing with the 2-way LCD transceiver. {bling}

Key points...

• 2-way LCD transceiver shows a number of things, including point of intrusion, ignition live, car running, armed/disarmed, current time of day and more.
• Transceiver has an on-screen minute timer that's great for keeping track of parking meters
• With an optional $20 module on the brain box, the LCD will show the interior temp of the truck. Great for making a decision to start it while getting dressed!
• Can be programmed to auto-start when the temp falls below a programmable point. The engine will run for 10, 15 or 20 minutes in 3 hour cycles (for a max of 6 cycles).
• System is VERY programmable in the sense of run time, lock management, valet support, passive arming, etc.

The install was very straight forward. I actually used diagrams from another alarm company (Bulldog) to get the wire locations and colors of the various tap points. Doing it a 2nd time would take me maybe 2 hours tops.


One final note... "Ryan" is the guy behind the Commando retailer and he's AWESOME. I couldn't have asked for better response time to my questions and babbling. If you drop a line to them for any reason, tell him that "the midiwall guy" says hi.


Kickin'!

MTL_4runner

Great to hear man and glad you like it.
Looks like a really nice unit.